Baller head



J. H. SELBY BALLER HEAD Jan. 17, 1961 Filed Nov. 19, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTOR.

J firroe/vs 3 JACK H. 6215) J. H. SELBY BALLER HEAD Jan. 17, 1961 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 19, 1956 INVENTOR. HCK H. SELB ATroe/vg s Jan.17, 1961 J- H. SELBY BALL-ER HEAD Filed Nov. 19, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTOENEjS Jan. 17, 1961 J. H. SELBY 2,968,446

BALLER HEAD Fil-ed Nov. 19, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Jnc/(H.554B) Jan. 17, 1961 J. H. SE'LB Y BALLER HEAD 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledNov. 19, 1956 INVENTOR. dgc/r/i SE LB) 8% 71% HTT W OENEJS BALLER HEADJack H. Selby, Twinsburg, Ohio, assignor to The Warner ghSwasey Company,Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of This invention relates to a ballinghead mechanism such as is used with carding machine s, gill boxes andother similar machines to wind slivers of natural or synthetic fibersinto ball-like packages.

For illustrative purposes the balling head mechanism embodying theinvention will be described as used in combination with a gill box whichmay be of the usual construction in that it includes feed rolls, aseries of ballers moving at a predetermined speed relative to the feedrolls and performing a combing action on the fibers, and a pair ofdelivery rolls which revolve at a still greater surface speed all as isWell understood in the art.

An object of the invention is to provide a balling head mechanism whichis so constructed that the slivers will be wound into a ball-likepackage evenly, smoothly, ef-

ficiently and expeditiously.

Another object is to provide a balling head mechanism wherein, duringthe winding of the ball-like package, the sliver will be reciprocatedtransversely of its longitudinal length and axially of the spool onwhich the ball is wound with fast direction changes at the ends of themovements in each direction tocause even distribution of the sliveraxially of the spool and to eliminate build-up of the sliver adjacentthe opposite ends of the spool.

A further object is to provide a balling head mechanism as referred toin the last named object and wherein .the reciprocating motion for thesliver is produced by simple and efiicient mechanism readily operated ordriven from an operating part of the gill box or other machine withwhich the balling head mechanism is employed.

Another object of the invention is-to provide in a balling headmechanism improved and novel means for mounting the spool in positionfor the ball to be wound thereon and in removing the. wound ball packagefrom the mechanism, thus facilitating the use of the balling headmechamsm.

Further and additional objects and advantages not hereinbeforespecifically referred to will'become apparent hereinafter during thedetailed-description which is to follow of an embodiment of theinvention illustrated in the accompanying drawingsforming part of thisspecification and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a gill box and balling head mechanismembodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 ofFig. 1, looking in the direction of tlh arrows.

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, and istaken approximately on line 3-e-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Fig.4 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on line 4-4 ofFig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 (Sheet 4) is a developed sectional view of the gearing shown inFigs. 2 and 3 and constituting the drives to the drum of the ballinghead mechanism and to the means for reciprocating the sliver axially ofthe drum and of the spool upon which the ball is wound.

States Patent 0 Fig. 6 (Sheet 3) is a fragmentary elevational view of aportion of the balling head mechanism and shows the operativeconnections between the gearing and the means for reciprocating thesliver axially of the drum and spool.

Fig. 7 (Sheet 3) is a detached sectional view of a device for impartinga false twist to the sliver before the latter is Wound on the spool intothe ball.

Fig. 8 (Sheet 1) is a sectional view taken on irregular line 8-8 of Fig.of the arrows.

Fig. 9 (Sheet 1) is a sectional view taken substantially on irregularline 9-9 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 10 (Sheet 5) is a detached view, partly in section and partly inelevation, illustrating the rocking or swinging spool supporting arm ofthe'balling head mechanism; said am being shown in full lines in theposition it has at the start of the winding operation and when the spoolis in contact with the circumference of the drum, the

substantially 6, looking in the direction fully Wound ball package beingindicated by broken lines;

said View also showing by dash and dot lines the position of the rockingor swinging ball supporting arm when the ball package has been fullywound and said arm has been moved to an unloading position.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the swinging or rocking ball supporting armshown in Fig. 10.

The balling head mechanism embodying the invention is attached to a gillbox, and includes a supporting frame indicated generally at 26 securedat its inner end to the gill box and having its outer end supported bylegs 27. The supporting frame 26 mounts upwardly inclined bracket arms28 arranged in parallel pairs with each pair of bracket arms rotatablysupporting a shaft 29 mounted in bearing bosses 28 formed at the upperend of the bracket arms. a

Adjacent the bosses 28 of each bracket arm 28 of each pair of bracketarms hubs 30 of swinging or rocking. ball and spool supporting arms areclamped to the shaft 29 so as to rock in pairs with said shaft Therocking ball and spool supporting arms31 adja-,

cent their upper or free ends and on their upper sides are provided withparallel bearing and supporting grooves 32 to receive and rotatablysupport the trunnions 33 at the opposite ends of each spool 34 uponwhich the slivers are wound.

The arms 31 on their upper sides and inwardly of the bearing andsupporting grooves 32 are provided with up wardly extending headed bolts35 spaced apart longitudinally of the arms 31 and extending throughlongtudinally elongated slots 36 formed in retaining blocks 37 that havesliding movement on the upper sides of the arms 31., it being understoodthat the headed bolts 35 retain the blocks 37 in position on the arms 31but that the blocks can slide longitudinally of the arms due to theslots 36.

The blocks 37 are adapted in one of their positions to overlie thegrooves 32 and to retain the trunnions 33 of the spools 34 rotatably inposition in the grooves 32 The outer or right hand ends of the blocks37, as viewed in Fig. 10, are provided with angular upwardly 'andforwardly extending supporting fingers 38, the forward edges of whichhave trunnion supporting surfaces 39, the purpose of which will soonbecome apparent.

The blocks 37 adjacent their inner or left hand ends, as viewed in Figs.10 and 11, have pivotally connected thereto one end of block actuatinglinks 40, the opposite ends of which are 'pivotally connected to stubshafts 41 carried by upwardly extending'p'ortions 28 on the bearingbosses 28 of the bracket arms 28, spacer sleeves 42 on the stub shafts41 being interposed between the sides of the portions 23 and the links4t}.

The axes of the pivotal mounting of the links 40 on the stub shafts 41are parallel to the axis of the shaft 29 on which the arms 31 rock butare located radially upwardly and outwardly with respect to the axis ofthe shaft 29.

Referring to Fig. 10, it will be seen that when the arms 31 are swungfrom their full line position upwardly to their dot and dash lineposition the radii between the shaft 29 and the pivotal connectionbetween slide blocks 37 and links 40 subscribe the dot and dash linearcs A. Also it will be seen that when the arms 31 are swung upwardlythe radii between the stub shafts 41 and the pivotal connections betweenthe links 40 and the slide blocks 37 will subscribe the dot and dasharcs A. Consequently when the arms 31 are in their uppermost position,i.e., their loading and unloading position as indicated in Fig. 10, thelinks 40 will have acted on the slide blocks 37 to move the latterinwardly of the arms 31 a distance equal to the distance between thearcs A and A at the location where the arms 31 are in their raised orupper position. Consequently when the arms 31 are moved or rocked fromtheir raised loading and unloading position of Fig. downwardly to theirfull line position the links 40 will act to slide the blocks 37forwardly so that the blocks overlie the grooves 33.

It has been previously stated that the arms 31 function in pairs withthe arms of each pair having simultaneous rocking movement on the axisof the shaft 29. The arms 31 of each pair are spaced apart the properdistance to receive therebetween the spools 34 upon which the balls arewound and with the trunnions 33 of the spools resting in the grooves 32of the arms. In order to facilitate the swinging or rocking movements ofthe arms 31 by the operator each arm is provided with an upwardlyextending rod 43 that passes through the slot 36 in the retaining slideblock 37 and is located intermediate the headed guiding bolts 35. Theupper end of the rod 43 is provided with an actuating knob 44.

Assuming that the arms 31 of a pair of arms are in the raised loadingand unloading position, i.e., the uppermost dot and dash line positionof Fig. 10, then the slide blocks 37 are retracted and the bearing andsupporting grooves 32 of the arms are uncovered. The operator can nowtake a spool upon which the ball is to be wound and place the spoolbetween the raised arms with'the trunnions 33 at the opposite ends ofthe spool resting within the fingers 38 and on the trunnion supportingsurfaces 39 of said fingers. Then the operator simultaneously lowers thearms 31 of the pair and during this lowering movement the trunnions 33enter the grooves 32. As the lowering movement continues the blocks 37are moved by the links 40 forwardly of the arms 31 and act to retain thetrunnions in the grooves 32. When the arms 31 of the pair of arms are intheir lower or full line position of Fig. 10 the retaining slide blocks37 are in their most forward position and completely overlie the grooves32 so that the trunnions 33 of the spool 34 are rotatably held inposition in the grooves. At this time the spool 34 will engage thecircumference of a rotata'le drum 45 later to be referred to. Therotation of said drum 45 frictionally rotates the spool 34 and thesliver to be wound into the ball 25 having been attached to the spool 34and passing between the drum 45 and the spool 34 will be wound upon thespool until the ball 25 is completed. Of course during the winding ofthe sliver into the ball 25 the arms 31 will gradually be raised as thediameter of the ball increases. However, this raising movement of thearms 31 during the formation of the ball will not, prior to thecompletion of the ball, effect retraction of the slide blocks 37 so asto completely uncover the grooves 32 and hence the trunnions 33 of thespool and ball will be locked in position with freedom to rotate by theoverlying blocks 37 during the entire winding operation.

Reference to the arcs A and A of Fig. 10 will indicate that the blocks37 during the entire winding operation will overlie the grooves 32. Whenthe ball 25 has been completely wound the operator can grasp the knobs44 and swing the pair of arms upwardly to the raised, loading andunloading position, i.e., the uppermost dot and dash line position ofFig. 10. When the arms are in the position just referred to the blocks37 are retracted fully so that the grooves 32 in the arms are exposed,whereupon the operator can move the ball to cause the trunnions 33 toroll outwardly of the grooves and onto the trunnion supporting surfaces39 of the fingers 38, after which he can readily remove the ball frombetween the arms and then insert therebetween a new spool so that whenthe arms are again lowered the winding operation can be repeated.

In order that the spool 34 and the sliver wound thereon will be held indriving contact with the circumference of the drum 45 during the windingoperation one of the arms 31 of each pair of arms may be subjected to aforce other than gravity and tending to move the pair of arms in adownward direction. As illustrative of a suitable arrangement one arm ofeach pair of arms has pivoted to its side a strap 46 to which may beconnected a chain or cable 47 that extends through suitable guides andbeneath the frame 26 where it has secured to it a weight, spring orother means acting to tension the cable or chain as will be wellunderstood.

The drum 45 is fixed to a drum shaft 49 that is rotatably supported insuitable bearings carried by the side walls of the frame 26 (see Figs. 1and 5). The drum 45 is of such axial length in the present embodiment asto have driving contact with two spools 34 carried by two pairs ofrocking ball and spool supporting arms 31 so that two ball packages 25can be wound simultaneously.

It will be understood, of course, that the balling head mechanism mightbe so designed as to wind only one ball package at a time or to wind agreater number than two ball packages at a time. The drum shaft 49 anddrum 45 are driven from a power operated part of the gill box 24 which,in turn, is driven by suitable power means such as an electric motor aswill be well understood.

The drive from the power operated part of the gill box to the shaft 49will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 2 and 5. Theshaft 49 extends beyond its supporting bearing carried by the right-handside wall of the frame 26, as viewed in the drawings, and on itsextending right hand end is provided with a pickoff gear 50. The pickoffgear 50 meshes with an idler pickofi gear 51 that is rotatable on a stubshaft 52. The stub shaft 52 is adjustable in a slot 53 formed in theside wall of the frame 26, wherefore the stub shaft can be moved to andclamped in various adjusted positions so a pickofi gear 51 of a desiredsize will mesh with a pickofi gear 50 of a desired size and also with apickotf gear 54 of a desired size. The pickoff gear 54 is rotatable on astub shaft 55 carried by the side wall of the frame. The pickotf gear 54is formed with axially extending circularly spaced bores locatedradially outwardly of its axis, with certain of said bores beingthreaded to receive securing screws 56 while other of said bores may beunthreaded and adapted to receive locating pins 57.

The pickoff gear on its outer side is provided with a reduced hubportion whereby a sprocket 58 can be mounted on the hub portion andsecured to the pickolf gear 54 by the screws 56 and locating pins 57. Adrive chain 59 extends around the sprocket 58 and around a sprocket 60fixed on a shaft 61 that is power driven from the power source of thegill box 24. Inasmuch as the gears 50, 51 and 54 are pickofi gears therate of rotation of the drum shaft 49 can be varied by using differentsize gears 50, 51 and 54 and this enables the shaft 49 and drum 45 to bedriven at the proper correlated speed with respect to the speed ofoperation of the gill box.

The gears 50, 51 and 54 are located in a gear box 62 secured to theouter side of the right hand side wall of the frame 26 as viewed in thedrawings.

It is customary in balling head mechanisms to provide meansthat'reciprocates axially of the spool and ball and through which meansextends the sliver being wound, the purpose of such an arrangement beingto distribute the sliver axially of the spool as it is wound thereon aswill be well understood.

Inasmuch as the sliver distributing means just referred to reciprocatesand hence reverses its direction of movement at the opposite limits ofits reciprocation the sliver being Wound on the spool may pile up at theopposite ends of the spool as compared to locations intermediate theends of the spool. This produces an objectionable, unevenly wound ballpackage which is thicker at its opposite ends than it is midway of itsends.

The balling head mechanism of the present invention provides anarrangement for distributing the sliver axially of the spool evenly andin such manner that there is no undesired piling up of the sliveradjacent the opposite ends of the spool. This is accomplished byimparting to the sliver distributing means a reciprocating movement,portions of which will move at a faster rate than other portions. Moreparticularly the sliver distributing means of the present invention hasa reciprocating move-.

ment such that each change of direction is at a fast rate. Thisarrangement enables the balling head mechanism of the present inventionto produce efliciently evenly wound ball packages which are of the samediameter from end to end. The manner in which this advantageous resultis accomplished will now be described.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, it will be seen that the drum shaft 49projects beyond its bearing that is carried by the side wall of theframe 26 at the left hand side of the gill box as viewed in thedrawings. The left hand end of the shaft 49, as viewed in Fig. 5, beyondthe side wall of the frame 26 and within a gear box 63 mounts a pickoffgear 64. The pickoff gear 64 constantly meshes with a pickolf gear 65that is rotatable on a stub shaft 66. The stub shaft 66 is adapted to beadjusted to various positions within a slot 67 formed in the side wallof the frame and clamped in such adjusted position thereby providing forthe use of different size pickoff gears 64 and 65. The pickoff gear 65constantly meshes with a pickoff gear 68 secured on the hub of a crankarm 69 that is rotatable on a stub shaft 70 carried by the side wall ofthe frame. It will be understood that various size pickolf gears 68 canbe mounted on and secured to the hub of the crank arm 69.

The crank arm 69 is provided with a follower roller 71 that extends intothe space 72 in the forked end of a second crank arm 73 which has a hub74 rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 75 the axis of which is parallel tothe axis of the stub shaft 70 but is displaced radially relativethereto. The stub shaft 75 is mounted in a supporting portion 76 that isspaced outwardly of the side wall of the frame 74 of the second crankarm 73 mounts a spur gear 77 for rotation with the crank arm 76.

It will be seen that rotation of the shaft 49 functions through thepickoif gears 64, 65 and 68 to rotate the first crank arm 69 and throughthe follower roller 71 the second crank arm 73 and the gear 77. However,due to the use of the crank arms the gear 77 is driven at a variablerate in each complete revolution and this variable rate is composed of amaximum rate and a minimum rate of movement phased substantially 180apart. The maximum rate of movement is more sharply defined than theminim-um rate and although of shorter duration is of greater amplitude.

but is secured thereto. The hub As illustrative of an 7 arrangementsuitable for a production machine the ratio of the maximum rate might be1.26 and of the minimum rate .83 arranged so that the output speed wouldbe faster than the input for approximately 168 of a rotative cycle. Thegear 77 constantly meshes with an idler spur gear 78 rotatable on a stubshaft 79 carried by the supporting portion 76. The idler spur gear 78constantly meshes with a spur gear 80 that is fixed to one end of ashaft 81 that is rotatable in a supporting and bearing portion 82 of theframe. The gear 80 is fixed to one end of the shaft 81 while theopposite end of said shaft has fixed to it a miter gear 83. The mitergear 83 meshes with a miter gear 84 rotatable on a stub shaft 85 carriedby the supporting and bearing portion 82 of the frame, said miter gear84 having a hub portion on which is mounted a spur gear 86 for rotationwith the miter gear. The spur gear 86 constantly meshes with a spur gear87 rotatable on a stub shaft 88 carried by the supporting and bearingportion 82 of the frame. The spur gear 87 radially outwardly of its axisof rotation and adjacent to its circumference is provided with a bearingpin 89, see Figs. 5 and 6 One end of a crank is pivotally mounted on thepin 89 and the opposite end of the crank 90 is pivotally mounted on apin 91 carried by lever 92 intermediate the upper and lower ends thereofbut nearer to the lower end. The lower end of the lever 92 is mounted toswing or rock on a stub shaft 93 carried by bracket 93a secured to aportion of the frame, see Figs. 6 and 8. The lever 92 is pivotallyconnected at its upper end to one end of a link 94, the opposite end ofwhich link 94 is pivotally connected to a connecting member 95 that hasa split sleeve portion clamped to one end of an elongated tube 96. Thetube 96 adjacent. its opposite ends is provided internally withcylindrical shoes or bushings 97 that interfit and slide upon asupporting and guiding rod 98 having its opposite ends mounted in theside members of the frame and extending parallel to the drum shaft 49and to the axis of rotation of the spools upon which the slivers arewound into ball packages.

It will be seen that the elongated tube 96 will be reciprocated on therod 98 since rotation of gear 87 will impart movement to crank 90 torock lever 92 and through the link 94 to reciprocate the tube. Eachchange of direction in the reciprocating movement will be at fast rateand this fast rate at each reversal is obtained, in this instance, by atwo-to-one gear reduction in thedrive train between the second crank arm73 and the spur gear 87. The amplitude of the reciprocating movement ineach direction is the axial length of the spool upon which the sliver isto be wound into the ball package.

The connecting member 95 supports a sliver guiding funnel 99. A secondsliver guiding funnel 100 is carried by a connecting member 101 that isclamped to the elongated twbe 96 in spaced relation to the connectingmember 95 so that the funnels 99 and 100 are spaced apart to cooperaterespectively with the two different spools upon which the slivers arewound into ball packages.

The sliver guiding funnels 99 and 100 carry supporting rods 102, seeFigs. 4 and 7, and these rods support inverted U-shaped members 103which rotatably support trumpets 104. The trumpets 104 are providedintermediate the legs of the members 103 with pinions 105 that roll andmesh with a stationary rack 106 extending between the side walls of theframe 26 of the balling head mechanism.

It will be seen that the reciprocating movement imparted to the funnels99 and 100 will similarly move the inverted U-shaped members 103 andthis will cause the pinions 105 to roll along the rack 106 and to rotatethe trumpets 104 first in one direction and then in the oppositedirection.

The slivers to be wound into ball packages pass through the guidingfunnels 99 and 100 and then through the trumpets 104 and are given afalse twist by turning with the trumpet first in one direction and thenin the other direction. The purpose of this will be well understood inthe art.

From the foregoing description it will have been seen that the ballinghead mechanism embodying the present invention includes provision foreasily, quickly and efficiently loading the mechanism with the spoolsfor the winding of the ball packages and for unloading the wound ballpackages from the mechanism. Also it will have been seen that theballing head mechanism efficiently performs the winding of the sliversinto the ball packages with an even distribution of the wound sliversaxially of the packages and without build-up at the opposite ends of thepackages.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustratedand described herein, it will be understood that the invention issusceptible of various modifications and adaptations within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a balling head mechanism for winding a sliver of fibers into aball-like package, a rotatable drum adapted to frictionally drive thespool upon which the sliver is being wound, power operated means forrotating said drum at a predetermined speed, feeding means for direetingthe sliver between the drum and the spool to be wound upon the latterand for reciprocating the sliver transversely of its length and axiallyof the drum and spool and including means supported for reciprocatingmovement axially of the drum and through which the sliver extends, andoperative connections between said drum and said last named means forreciprocating the latter with a fast reversal of direction at the endsof the movement in each direction and at a substantially uniform rateintermediate the ends of the movement in each direction, said operativeconnections comprising a first gear train driven in timed relationshipwith said drum 9. second gear train, a drive train operatively connectedwith said second gear train and said means supported for reciprocatingmovement axially of the drum, a driving crank arm driven by said firstgear train and mounting a follower roller, a driven crank arm providedwith a forked portion straddling said roller and rotatable on an axisparallel to but displaced radially of the axis of the driving crank arm,and means operatively connecting said driven crank arm and said secondgear train.

2. In a balling head mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said firstgear train includes a gear driven in timed relation with said drum, afinal gear, and operative connections between said gears including anidler gear and means mounting said idler gear for adjusting its axis inradial directions to cause said idler gear to properly intermesh withits cooperating gears.

3. In a balling head mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein saiddriving crank arm is provided with a hub portion while the last gear ofsaid first gear train is mounted on said hub portion and is removablysecured to said first crank arm.

4. In a balling head mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein the gearsof said first gear train are pick-off ears.

g 5. In a balling head mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein saiddriven crank arm has a hub portion and the first gear of said secondgear train is mounted on said hub portion and is secured thereto.

6. In a balling head mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein saiddriving and driven crank arms both are provided with hub portions withthe last gear of said first gear train mounted on the hub portion ofsaid driving crank arm and is removably secured to said driving crankarm, the first gear of said second gear train being mounted on andsecured to the hub portion of said driven crank arm, the gears of saidfirst gear train being pick-off gears and including an idler gear andmeans for adjusting the axis of said idler gear radially to properlyintermesh said idler gear with the gears adjacent thereto in said firstgear train.

7. In a balling head mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said drivetrain includes a gear provided radially outwardly of its axis with apin, a crank having one of its ends pivotally mounted on said pin, alever pivotally mounted at one end and pivotally connected at itsopposite end to one end of a link the opposite end of which is pivotallyconnected to said means that is supported for reciprocating movementaxially of the drum and through which the sliver extends, said crankhaving its opposite end pivotally connected to said lever intermediatethe ends of the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,882,152 Larmuth Oct. 11, 1932 2,004,045 Fraser et al. June 4, 19352,262,850 Lea Nov. 18, 1941 2,388,557 Little et al. Nov. 6, 19452,544,348 Nystrom Mar. 6, 1951 2,632,607 Heygel Mar. 24, 1953 2,659,539Stenglein Nov. 17, 1953 2,664,594 Anderson Jan. 5, 1954 2,674,013 PlaceApr. 6, 1954 2,757,876 Smith et al. Aug. 7, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 729,438Great Britain May 4, 1955 906,788 Germany Mar. 18, 1954

